7 Steps to Eat, Drink and Be Smart When Worse Comes to Worst

Food

>> Days One to Two: Perishables

Dairy products and meat in an unpowered refrigerator can keep up to 4 hours. Frozen food lasts up to two days. If you have doubts about freshness, use a meat thermometer--anything above 41 F should be thrown out.

>> Days Three to Seven: Fruits and Vegetables

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Most fruit can last up to seven days at room temperature. Potatoes can stay fresh longer than a week if stored in a cool, dark place.

>> Beyond Seven Days: Packaged Goods, Jars and Cans

Pantry goods such as flour, granola bars and crackers last around six months when sealed. Food in cans or jars--such as beans and peanut butter--lasts up to one year, unopened.

>> Long-Term: Emergency Rations

Emergency rations such as Mainstay and ER Bars follow Coast Guard standards. Individual rations provide 400 calories and can be stored for up to five years.

Water

* Emergency Supplies

Keep three days' supply of bottled water on hand at all times--12 gal. per person per day for drinking, plus 12 gal. per person per day for sanitation and cooking. Filling up a 50-gal. bathtub with water can extend your supply by 1212 days.

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* Hidden Water

Once your emergency supply has been exhausted, you can collect drinking water from your home's pipes. Close off the main water valve, open a top-floor faucet to let air into the system, then drain water through a faucet at the lowest point in your home. Another source of stored potable water is your hot-water heater. A 30-gal. tank holds enough water to supply a family of four for just over a week. Keep in mind, however, that many natural disasters can foul a municipal water supply, introducing contaminants into your home's pipes. Be sure to filter and purify drained water before you drink it.

* Purifying Water

To treat contaminated water, or water collected from rain, moving streams or clear lakes, first filter it through a paper towel, clean cloth or coffee filter to remove particles. Then either boil the water or sterilize it with 16 drops of household bleach per gallon. Wait 30 minutes before consuming.

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